Pune: Irrigation Dept to Intensify Action Against Encroachments Along Khadakwasla–Fursungi Canal

Pune, 14th April 2026: The state water resources department is set to intensify its ongoing drive to clear encroachments along the canal stretch from Khadakwasla Dam to Fursungi and additional manpower is being deployed to speed up the process.

Officials said around 50 additional engineers have been assigned to the drive, with a plan to deploy four engineers for every five-kilometre stretch of the canal to ensure closer monitoring and faster action.

To prevent re-encroachment after the removal of slums along the canal, the department has also decided to construct boundary walls at vulnerable locations.

The intensified action follows directives from Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who had taken serious note of growing encroachments in the Khadakwasla dam vicinity and ordered their immediate removal. The department has been carrying out the demolition drive over the past few months.

A recent review of the drive was also conducted during a meeting of the Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation, where the minister assessed the progress of the encroachment removal efforts.

Authorities had earlier conducted a drone survey to identify encroachments, which revealed that several illegal structures, including resorts, hotels, and residential units, had come up in the area.

According to officials, nearly 90% of encroachments in the dam area have already been cleared. However, encroachments along the canal—primarily slum settlements—span around 25 hectares, of which about five hectares have been cleared so far.

Superintending Engineer Prithviraj Phalke said the department is committed to completing the drive and ensuring that the canal corridor remains free from illegal structures.